Chemically coded quantum emitters and photochemical methods of creating same

Abstract

The present invention relates to quantum emitters and photochemical methods of creating such emitters, including semiconductor hosts comprising chemically incorporated fluorescent defects.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A quantum emitter, comprising:
 a semiconductor host; 
 a fluorescent quantum defect incorporated into said semiconductor host via optically reacting said semiconductor host with a molecule comprising a photochemically activatable moiety that generates a radical that covalently bonds to said semiconductor host. 
 
     
     
       2. The quantum emitter of  claim 1 , which comprises a plurality of fluorescent quantum defects spatially, chemically and/or electronically correlated in said semiconductor host. 
     
     
       3. The quantum emitter of  claim 1 , wherein said semiconductor host is selected from the group consisting of a carbon nanotube (CNT), a graphene nanoribbon, and a carbon nitride. 
     
     
       4. The quantum emitter of  claim 3 , wherein said carbon nanotube is a single-walled carbon nanotube (SWCNT) or a double-walled carbon nanotube (DWCNT). 
     
     
       5. The quantum emitter of  claim 4 , wherein said carbon nanotube is a SWCNT selected from the group consisting of a (6,5)-SWCNT, a (10,6)-SWCNT, a (10,9)-SWCNT, a (10, 3)-SWCNT, a (6,4)-SWCNT, and a (7,5)-SWCNT. 
     
     
       6. The quantum emitter of  claim 1 , wherein said molecule is a halide-containing molecule. 
     
     
       7. The quantum emitter of  claim 6 , wherein said halide is iodine, bromine, or chlorine. 
     
     
       8. The quantum emitter of  claim 1 , wherein said molecule is an oligonucleotide. 
     
     
       9. The quantum emitter of  claim 8 , wherein said oligonucleotide is a DNA molecule or an RNA molecule. 
     
     
       10. The quantum emitter of  claim 8 , wherein said oligonucleotide comprises at least one 5-IododexoyUridine (5I-dU). 
     
     
       11. The quantum emitter of  claim 8 , wherein said oligonucleotide comprises between 1 and about 1000 nucleotide residues. 
     
     
       12. The quantum emitter of  claim 11 , wherein said oligonucleotide comprises between 3 and about 100 nucleotide residues. 
     
     
       13. The quantum emitter of  claim 12 , wherein said oligonucleotide comprises between about 5 and about 20 nucleotide residues. 
     
     
       14. The quantum emitter of  claim 10 , wherein said oligonucleotide comprises a sequence selected from the group consisting of: SEQ ID NO: 2; SEQ ID NO: 3; SEQ ID NO: 4; and SEQ ID NO: 5. 
     
     
       15. A photochemical method of synthesizing a quantum emitter, comprising the step of:
 irradiating a solution comprising a semiconductor host and a molecule comprising a photochemically activatable moiety, thereby exciting the semiconductor host and reducing the molecule to generate a radical, 
 wherein the radical covalently bonds to the semiconductor host to create a fluorescent quantum defect thereon. 
 
     
     
       16. The photochemical method of  claim 15 , wherein said step of irradiating comprises exposing the solution to radiation having a wavelength of between about 100 nm and about 1400 nm. 
     
     
       17. The photochemical method of  claim 15 , wherein said step of irradiating comprises exposing the solution to visible light. 
     
     
       18. The photochemical method of  claim 17 , wherein the visible light has a wavelength of 565 nm, 765 nm, 892 nm, or 644 nm. 
     
     
       19. The photochemical method of  claim 15 , wherein said step of irradiating comprises exposing the solution to radiation having a wavelength that resonates with an electronic transition(s) of the semiconductor host. 
     
     
       20. The photochemical method of  claim 15 , wherein said step of irradiating comprises exposing the solution to ultraviolet radiation or near-infrared radiation. 
     
     
       21. The photochemical method of  claim 15 , wherein a plurality of fluorescent quantum defects is created in the semiconductor host. 
     
     
       22. The photochemical method of  claim 21 , wherein said step of irradiating comprises exposing the solution to patterned radiation, thereby creating a spatially patterned array of fluorescent quantum defects in the semiconductor host. 
     
     
       23. The photochemical method of  claim 15 , wherein the molecule comprises at least one halide and aromatic moieties, and wherein the at least one halide is directly bonded to at least one of the aromatic moieties. 
     
     
       24. The photochemical method of  claim 23 , wherein the at least one halide is selected from the group consisting of iodine, bromine, and chlorine. 
     
     
       25. The photochemical method of  claim 23 , wherein the aromatic moieties are selected from the group consisting of benzene, aniline, nitrobenzene, and benzene sulfonic acid. 
     
     
       26. The photochemical method of  claim 15 , wherein the molecule comprises at least one halide and aromatic heterocycles, and wherein the at least one halide is bonded to at least one of the aromatic heterocycles. 
     
     
       27. The photochemical method of  claim 26 , wherein the at least one halide is selected from the group consisting of iodine, bromine, and chlorine.